- Similarities between Mathias Kvistgaarden and Ricky van Wolfswinkel.
- Clash of styles and systems might cut Kvistgaarden’s Norwich career short.
- Evaluating whether bargain release clause led City toward expensive mistake.
Cast your mind back to July last year when reports emerged linking Norwich City to Bronby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden.
Fresh from making his international debut with Denmark, Kvistgaarden was a man in demand.
With reported interest from Celtic, Lens and West Ham United, it came as a welcome surprise that Norwich were able to secure the Dane’s signature.
According to reports, the Canaries managed to land Kvistgaarden for a cut-price £6.9 million after discovering a hidden release clause in his contract.
The fact that City were able to beat a number of top European clubs to the forward showed a level of ambition not usually associated with the club.
But nine months into his City career, there is a feeling among some that Kvistgaarden is destined for a summer move after a hit-and-miss campaign.
Van Wolfswinkel episode could be repeating itself
At £6.9 million, Kvistgaarden’s place in City’s list of most expensive transfers sits slightly below the £8.5 million paid for Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel in 2013.
Nearly a year into his Norwich career, I’m starting to draw a few parallels between Kvist and the Big Bad Wolf.
The Dane, like van Wolfswinkel, was bought after scoring a high number of goals for a successful European club.
In his final season with Bronby he netted 17 times, earning him a place in the Danish Superliga Team of the Season.
Similarly, van Wolfswinkel scored 14 goals in his final season with Sporting CP.
But as van Wolfswinkel showed, translating that red-hot goalscoring form from the continent to England can be a tricky task.
The physicality and intensity of the Premier League and Championship can often take strikers by surprise.
Is Kvist suited to the English game?
Despite his disastrous time in Norfolk, van Wolfswinkel went on to prove his pedigree with successful spells in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Kvistgaarden, like van Wolkfswinkel, is clearly a talented player, but I can’t help but wonder whether his style is suited for the English game, or indeed Philippe Clement’s.
Clement’s preference of a taller, stronger striker simply isn’t Kvistgaarden.
Would I be surprised to see the Dane leave in the summer and start banging the goals in for a top European club? Not at all.
We can all see that there’s a player there, but I’m not sure his long-term future lies in Norfolk.
Like with van Wolfswinkel, I’m beginning to sense that Kvist could be the right player at the wrong time.
Let’s see what the summer brings.
